A Study in Philippians - cfdevotionals.org

1 Studies in Scripture Adventures in the New Testament Philippians by Pastor Geoffrey C. Kragen, Jr. Philippians OUTLINE. I INTRODUCTION. A. The Writer B. The Date C. The Recipients of the Epistle D. The Theme THE BOOK. II The Single Mind Chapter 1. (Key Verse 1:21). A. The fellowship of the Gospel Chapter 1: 1-11. B. The furtherance of the Gospel Chapter 1:12-26. C. The faith of the Gospel Chapter 1:27-30. III The Submissive Mind Chapter 2. (Key Verse 2:3). A. The example of Christ Chapter 2: 1-11. B. The example of Paul Chapter 2:12-18. C. The example of Timothy Chapter 2:19-24. D. The example of Epaphroditus Chapter 2:25-30. IV The Spiritual Mind Chapter 3. (Key Verse 3:19-20). A. Paul's Past (the accountant I count ) Chapter 3: 1-11. B. Paul's Present (the athlete I press ) Chapter 3:12-16. C. Paul's Future (the alien I look ) Chapter 3:17-21. V The Secure Mind Chapter 4. (Key Verse 4:6-7). A. God's Peace Chapter 4: 1- 9. B. God's Power Chapter 4:10-13.

2 C. God's Provision Chapter 4:14-23 1. 1. Wiersbe, Warren W., Be Joyful, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1988, adapted from p. 25. _____. Philippians Chapter 1:1-11. The Promise of Joy Prayer in Prison . _____. Dad must have had an easy day at the office, little Peggy said to her visiting girlfriend. He didn't squeal the tires when he pulled into the driveway, and he didn't slam the door when he came into the house. And he even gave Mother a Kiss! Circumstances steal joy! His daughter jumped off the school bus as it stopped in front of the house and slammed her way through the front door. She marched defiantly up the stairs into her room and again slammed the door. All the time she was muttering under her breath, People people people PEOPLE! . Her father went to her door and knocked softly. May I come in? . She replied, No! . He tried again, but she said it even more belligerently: NO! . He asked, Why can't I come in? . Her answer: Because you're a people!

3 People steal joy! A wealthy man was moving into his mansion, and his Quaker neighbor, who believed in simplicity of life, was watching the activities carefully. The neighbor counted the number of chairs and tables and the vast amount of bric-a-brac that was being carried into the house. Finally, he said to the lord of the mansion: Neighbor, if thou dost need anything, come to see me and I will tell thee how to get along without it! Things steal joy! Worry is the worst thief of all! How many people have been robbed of peace and fulfillment because of worry! In fact, worry even has physical consequences, and, while medicine can remove the symptoms, it cannot remove the cause. Worry is an inside job. You can purchase sleep at the drug store, but you cannot purchase rest. Worry steals joy! 1. So what do we need to kill the killers? How can we find joy, a joy that already is ours? Well, we are going to Study the Epistle to the Philippians to discover the answer to this and other questions.

4 Listen these words of Wiersbe: Philippians is a joyful letter! If you master the truths in Philippians , you should be filled with joy as you live the Christian life! This little epistle from a Roman prisoner has grown on me over the years. I have preached it and taught it in churches and conferences across the country, and each time I come to it, the message is more real and exciting. My prayer is that it will become real and exciting to you. 2. We life in a day of strife, stress and selfishness. In response to real strife and stress people in general have chosen to live only for self. Now this isn't a new approach to life. At least in 1. Wiersbe, Warren W., Be Joyful, Victor Books, 1988, pg. 16-17. 2. Ibid., pg. 11. Western Society it seems that happiness has always been the end goal of life. The search for happiness is one of the foundation stones of our society, for the Declaration of Independence gives us the right to the preservation of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

5 Alexander Pope said: O Happiness! our being's end and aim! Good, pleasure, ease, content! whate'er thy name: That something still which prompts th' eternal sigh, For which we bear to live, or dare to die. 3. Much of advertising is directed and causing the desire for happiness and then proving how the advertiser's product will provide it. To get the girl or guy, and therefore be happy, you have to wear the right clothes, drive the right car, use the right deodorant, or brush with the right toothpaste and use the right shampoo. In spite of having everything necessary to be happy there is a general unhappiness in mankind. Unfortunately, even we have often fallen for the idea that we life depends on us being happy. We are taught, from many pulpits, God desires our happiness, for us to have everything we need. And just as with everyone else, we too find moments of happiness, but happiness seems to be circumstantially driven. Now while God certainly doesn't begrudge us moments of happiness, there is nothing in Scripture that identifies happiness as life's goal.

6 When we seek happiness as life's focus we are settling for second best. Instead, God desires us to have joy and joy can be present in our lives in spite of circumstances. It is my hope that we all will have a better understanding of how joy can be present in our lives as we Study Paul's epistle to the Philippians . For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, (Romans 14:17). This morning we will examine the context of the letter and look at the first eleven verses. First we will see that Paul is able to express joy in less than ideal circumstances. Hopefully, we will desire this same joy in our own lives and, let us pray, that by the time we have com- pleted the letter we will be rejoicing in the Lord in all things Rejoice in the Lord always. I. will say it again: Rejoice! ( Philippians 4:4). One of the primary sources I will be using for this Study is Warren Wiersbe's book, Be Joy- ful.

7 Accordingly, I have adapted the outline I'm providing from his book. I Introduction A. The Writer B. The Date C. The Recipients of the Epistle D. The Theme 3. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 1980, p. 379. )2(. II The Single Mind Chapter 1. A. The Fellowship of the Gospel Chapter 1:1-11. A The Writer: Paul is the unquestioned author of this epistle. As Guthrie notes: It is hardly necessary to discuss the question of the Epistle's genuineness as the great majority of scholars regard it as indisputable. (The) internal evidence is strongly supported by external evidence, which contains no hint of doubt that the Epistle in its entirety was Paul's own work. 4. B The Date: Paul wrote the epistle to the Philippians while he was imprisoned. This makes it difficult to identify when the letter was written. Paul spent a number of times in jail and we can't identify on which occasion this was written.

8 He had been in jail in Caesarea, Rome and Ephesus. Generally the view has been the letter was written from Rome, (59-61AD) though there are some who believe it was written at Ephesus, (53-55AD ). Clearly, it was written sometime between 53 and 61AD and therefore within only a few years after the resurrection and Paul's conversion. C The Recipients of the Epistle: Paul, on his second missionary journey, had been in- volved in the establishment of a church in Philippi in 50AD. This was the first European city in which had Paul preached. (See Acts 16.) The best known incidents occurring there were: The saving of Lydia, the dyer of purple; the psychic who had a demon cast out of her through the Paul and Silas' intervention and the resulting riot; the Holy Spirit's freeing them from jail and the jail keeper and his family's salvation. Paul visited the city again on his third journey. During one of Paul's times in jail the believers at Philippi sent an individual named Epaphro- ditus with instructions to minister to Paul's needs and to bring him a gift.

9 During this visit Epaphroditus became ill and the believers got word of his illness. Apparently, he felt that in some way he might have failed the church. When Epaphroditus had recovered from his illness and was preparing to return Paul wrote this letter to send with him. The purpose was to reassure them about Epaphroditus's com- mitment to the Lord, to thank them for the gift, to let them know he was sending Timothy and some other items that we will examine as we get to them. Homer Kent notes this is the most personal of all Paul's letters. It may be that it is the per- sonal nature of the letter that brings out the truths of living in the midst of God's joy. Paul didn't write the letter to teach the Philippians about joy, but the lesson is there because what he says models it in his own life. D The Theme: Quoting Unger's Bible Handbook: Its theme is the adequacy of Christ for all the experiences of life privation, persecution, hardship, suffering, as well as prosperity and popularity.

10 Christ gives joy and triumph whatever may come, If He 4. Guthrie, Donald, New Testament Introduction, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1968, p. 526. )3(. is allowed to be the center of life. This is mottoed in Paul's testimony: For to me, to live is Christ'. (1:21) 5. Verses 1-2: In chapter one we will see that the reason Paul was able to have joy in circum- stances was because of his single-mindedness. His focus was on the giving out of the gospel and all that he experienced was weighted in light of this purpose. The letter opens with a typical salutation, and while the letter comes from Paul and Timothy, it is clear the text reflects Paul's words. Here Paul refers to himself and Timothy as servants, actually slaves of Christ. The epistle is written to the saints at Philippi and specifically to the Elders and Deacons. The text opens with both Greek and Hebrew greetings: grace, the grace of salvation and peace, the peace between men and God that comes through that salvation.